cations
were pointing to a speedy collapse of the rebellion. This foreshadowed
disaster to the Confederate armies gave rise to another volunteer peace
negotiation, which, from the boldness of its animating thought and the
prominence of its actors, assumes a special importance. The veteran
politician Francis P. Blair, Sr., who, from his long political and
personal experience in Washington, knew, perhaps better than almost any
one else, the individual characters and tempers of Southern leaders,
conceived that the time had come when he might take up the role of
successful mediator between the North and the South. He gave various
hints of his desire to President Lincoln, but received neither
encouragement nor opportunity to unfold his plans. "Come to me after
Savannah falls," was Lincoln's evasive reply. On the surrender of that
city, Mr. Blair hastened to put his design into execution, and with a
simple card from Mr. Lincoln, dated December 28, saying, "Allow the
bearer, F.P. Blair, Sr., to pass our lines, go south and return," as his
only credential, set out for Richmond. From General Grant's camp he
forwarded two letters to Jefferson Davis: one, a brief request to be
allowed to go to Richmond in search of missing title papers presumably
taken from his Maryland home during Early's raid; the other, a longer
letter, explaining the real object of his visit, but stating with the
utmost candor that he came wholly unaccredited, save for permission to
pass the lines, and that he had not offered the suggestions he wished to
submit in person to Mr. Davis to any one in authority at Washington.

After some delay, he found himself in Richmond, and was accorded a
confidential interview by the rebel President on January 12, 1865, when
he unfolded his project, which proved to be nothing less than a
proposition that the Union and Confederate armies cease fighting each
other and unite to drive the French from Mexico. He supported this
daring idea in a paper of some length, pointing out that as slavery, the
real cause of the war, was hopelessly doomed, nothing now remained to
keep the two sections of the country apart except the possible
intervention of foreign soldiery. Hence, all considerations pointed to
the wisdom of dislodging the French invaders from American soil, and
thus baffling "the designs of Napoleon to subject our Southern people to
the 'Latin race.'"

"He who expels the Bonaparte-Hapsburg dynasty from our southern flank,"